


Jumping to Conclusions

by TheNameIsBritney



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Awkward Dates, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sanvers if you squint, Slight supercorp as well, Unrequited Love, au but not really au this is totes canon, or at least they think it's unrequited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-09-03 13:54:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8716471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNameIsBritney/pseuds/TheNameIsBritney
Summary: When they had started teaming up, they didn’t think it would involve this much sneaking off together but alas things are often not quite as you would expect. Sooner or later, Winn and James start sneaking off to fight crime together so often that the rest of the guys start getting suspicious. AKA The fake dating Scholsen fic that no one asked for





	1. Chapter 1

When they had started teaming up, they didn’t think it would involve this much sneaking off together but alas things are often not quite as you would expect.

 

Sooner or later, Winn and James start sneaking off to fight crime together so often that the rest of the guys start getting suspicious.

 

It had started one night when Winn got an alert on his phone about a break in on Harrison street, some low level burglar probably trying to score some silverware from some poor, unsuspecting family. Winn let out a soft huff in frustration. They’d only _just_ arrived at the bar and now they’d have to leave again. He approached James who was at the table with Kara, Alex, J’onn, Mon-el, and Maggie (Alex’s new friend? Girlfriend? Winn wasn’t really sure but from the way the two looked at each other he probably would’ve guessed the latter).

 

He tapped James lightly on the side of the arm and nodded towards the door. “James, we uh...we have that uh...thing we signed up for, remember?” Winn asked James, knowing he’d get the hint. They’d been working together for well over a month now and James basically knew Winn inside out, maybe even better than Kara.

 

It was strange how less than a year ago, Winn couldn’t stand the guy, overtaken by his feelings of jealousy and insecurity. Afterall James was obviously the better candidate. He was strong, smart, kind, muscular, hot...in Kara’s eyes. Definitely not Winn’s. Winn wasn’t into James like that. Obviously.

 

James furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before realising what Winn was talking about.

 

“Oh! Yes, that...that thing! That thing we both signed up for. Right.” Kara, Alex, and J’onn shared a suspicious look. Mon-el and Maggie simply looked confused, neither person keeping up with the conversation since they weren’t exactly close with James or Winn.

 

“What thing guys?” Kara asked innocently, eyebrows raised.

 

Winn and James looked at each other in panic before looking back at the blonde Kryptonian, her steely gaze cutting through them both.

 

“We uh...James and I...signed up for cooking classes together!” Winn said quickly, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. Cooking classes? Really?

 

James nodded slowly and looked at Winn incredulously. They caught each other’s eyes and James quickly looked away, trying hard not to get lost in those wide green eyes of his.

 

“Yep. Cooking classes. Together. Just two bros going to make some...cupcakes.” James said, beginning to back away from the table. Winn had already grabbed his bag and coat and was slowly backing away too. They said their goodbyes and raced off to Winn’s car to drive to where they kept James’ motorcycle and Winn’s DEO Speedwagon.

Kara furrowed her eyebrows and mouthed ‘cooking classes?’ to herself in confusion. She looked at Alex who looked equally as confused and slightly amused.

 

“Something is definitely up.” Alex said, watching the door where the two had just disappeared out of.

 

“Should we follow them?” J’onn asked, his fatherly instincts kicking in. He may not have known the tall one that well, or the short one for that matter, but he couldn’t help it.

 

Maggie smiled and shook her head.

 

“Whatever it is, they obviously want to keep it between themselves for now. Let them figure things out and then...everything will fall into place.” Maggie said softly, taking a sip of her beer and not-so-subtly locking eyes with a short-haired brunette sitting to her left.

 

They agreed to leave it alone and went on with their night, the question of ‘what was up with those two?’ still plaguing their minds.

 

* * *

 

“Another successful evildoer caught by Guardian and the Man in the Van! We make a pretty good team, buddy!” Winn said enthusiastically from his place inside the van, a wide smile on his face as he watched James climb onto his motorcycle and begin to speed off.

 

“I wouldn’t exactly call that guy ‘evil’, Winn, he didn’t even steal anything. When we arrived he was still trying to pry open the door with a blunt screwdriver.” James said, his voice distorted from the mask over his head. Winn would be lying if he said the way the mask made James’ already deep baritone even deeper didn’t make him feel things in...sensitive places.

 

Winn cleared his throat and forced the thought out of his head. Even if he did like James like that - which he totally didn’t, by the way! - James would never go for someone like him. After all, he was clearly straight.

 

“Winn?”

 

Winn snapped back to reality and sat up in his chair, clearing his throat and beginning to pack up his equipment. “Yep! You’re right, totally right. That was uh...that was really cool the way you took that screwdriver and bent it in half like that. Really scared the living crap out of that guy.” Winn said quickly, trying to make up for his silence.

 

James hummed but didn’t say anything, sensing something was up with his new ally. “Are you upset that we had to leave everyone at the bar tonight? You’ve been kind of quiet. None of your usual zingers or jabs.”

 

Winn’s heart beat a little bit faster when James said that. He hadn’t realised but the fact that James did...well it certainly said something about them right? The fact that James knew him well enough to sense that something was wrong.

 

“No, no, nothing like that. I’m fine, honest. Just...a lot on my mind. How about we pack it in for tonight?” Winn asked, getting to the front of the van and putting it in Drive so he could follow James back to their hiding spot. James didn’t say anything for a few minutes.

 

“Okay. But if something’s up I’ll find a way to find out. I’m a reporter, I have a way of getting people to talk.”

 

Winn smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, James, really. It’s nothing.”

 

‘Other than the fact that I think I might be developing feelings for you.’ Winn thought, sighing softly to himself.

 

Fuck.

 

* * *

 

Kara was a meddler. If you asked anyone who’d known Kara for any length of time, they would tell you she was a meddler. Which is why she couldn’t stay away from this James and Winn issue. She had to get to the bottom of it.

 

That’s why when Winn arrived at the DEO the next morning, eyes weighed down by bags, an extra large slurpee in hand (Honestly, Winn, slurpees for breakfast?), and yawning, Kara saw this as an opportunity. She slowly walked up to her friend, her cape and skirt bellowing slightly as she walked quickly.

 

“Morning!”

 

Winn startled slightly, eyes blinking from half-closed to fully open in a matter of seconds. He sighed when he saw who it was.

 

“Kara, you’re way too chipper for 8:00am on a Wednesday morning.” Winn mumbled, “Also what did I tell you about sneaking up on the son of a psychotic killer?”

 

Kara huffed an apology before sidling up to Winn again, following him to his desk and taking a seat on the edge. “So, Winn. How was your cooking class with James last night?”

 

“What? What cooking class?” Winn asked as he turned his computer on. Suddenly, the thought clicked into place and he mentally cursed. “Oh! That...that cooking class, right. It was great. James and I made a lot of...brownies.”

 

“I thought you were making cupcakes.”

 

“They were cupcake brownies?” Winn offered, more of a question than a statement. He was a horrible liar especially to Kara. ‘Shit, she looks suspicious. Don’t let her know anything.’ Winn thought to himself. He gulped and looked down at his monitor, watching as it came to life.

 

“Mm...so where are they? Can I have one? You know how much I love chocolate.” Kara asked, voice light and soft though her intentions were anything but. She knew Winn was lying. Whenever Winn lied, he wouldn’t make direct eye contact with her.

 

Winn simply nodded and hummed an affirmation. Shit. Now he needed to lie to Kara _and_ make her brownie cupcakes? Or cupcake brownies...whichever. He was a horrible baker.

 

Maybe he could ask James to help. It was his fault that they were in this mess. Stupid James and his stupid need to help people and his stupid abs that Winn may or may not have accidentally (or not so accidentally) brushed his hands against when he was measuring James so he could make his suit. Winn cleared his throat and looked at Kara who still looked unsure.

 

“Are we done with this little...interrogation? I have to go um...I have to go train with Mon-el and Alex.” Kara eyed him skeptically before letting him go, turning her attention to Vargas who was talking about an alien sighting near the park.

 

Yes, something definitely felt strange.

 

* * *

 

“James!”

 

James was in his office reviewing a few articles that were set to be published in the coming weeks and saw Kara walking towards him, her face set in determination as she strode forward.

 

“Hey, Kara, what’s up?”

 

“I want to know what’s up with you and Winn.”

 

James stared at Kara, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. “Whats up? What do you mean what’s up? Nothing is up, we are just...we’re just buds. Who take sewing classes together.”

 

“I thought you said it was a cooking class.” Kara said, smirking.

“We take both! We have very many...similar interests.” James quickly retorted, hoping Kara would stop prying. His heart was beating quick in his chest and he was starting to sweat. What if Kara knew? What if she found out? Would she kill him? Would she kill them both? But...They were both too pretty to die. “Look, Kara, not that I don’t love seeing you but I’ve got a lot of work to do so can you go?”

 

Kara furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms, pouting. “Neither of you are telling me the truth! I’m not leaving until I get the truth out of one of you.” Just then she had a revelation. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth fell into an enthusiastic ‘O’, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.

 

“Oh my gosh!”

 

“What?” James asked, looking at Kara in panic and shaking his head. “It’s not what you-”

 

“You’re dating!”

 

James’ sentence fell short and he blinked in confusion. How had she gotten to that conclusion?

 

“It makes so much sense. You guys sneak off together like all the time! You’re constantly messaging each other, don’t think I haven’t seen Winn’s phone at the DEO, it’s always blowing up with texts from you.” Kara said, beginning to pace back and forth in James’ office as she listed all the reasons why they _must_ be dating.

 

“Wait, you looked through Winn’s phone?”

 

“That’s...irrelevant. And besides I didn’t see much.” Kara said, brushing it off and crossing her arms. “And you guys are taking classes together? That is so cute! I can’t believe this happened, this is so great! Just think you both went from liking, well, me...to liking each other!” She grinned happily.

 

James looked at Kara’s face and looked down at his phone where Winn was texting him, probably telling him about Kara’s interrogation that morning.

 

“I...We’re not…” James paused and thought about it. If he said they were dating it would make this whole ‘vigilante duo’ thing a lot easier. If they snuck off together, people would just assume they were...James’ eyes glazed over as he imagined it. Sneaking off to a secluded alleyway, not to beat up a gang of muggers or stop a crazed gunman, but just for a little private time. He imagined himself pressing Winn up against the brick gently and taking his jaw into his hands, leaning down and…

 

“James?”

 

James looked up from where he was focused intently on his desk and looked back at Kara.

 

“Yes! You are...you’re right, Kara, Winn and I are...we’re dating.” James said definitively, apologising to Winn mentally. “We didn’t want to tell you guys yet cause...well...uh…”

 

“Is it ‘cause Alex just came out and you didn’t want to steal her thunder? Because she would totally understand!” Kara said, eyes wide and earnest. “We would all be so happy for you!”

 

Well, Kara had offered up a perfect explanation herself. James would be a fool not to take it.

 

“Yes, that’s exactly why. We didn’t want to make it feel like we were overshadowing Alex in such an important time in her life.” Kara smiled brightly at him and James let out a quiet breath of relief, leaning back in his chair. “Now, Kara, as much as I’d love to talk about my...love life with you, I really have to get to work. How about I...and Winn...meet you for drinks tonight?”

 

They agreed and Kara sped off, probably to tell Alex what she’d just uncovered.

 

James sighed and rested his forehead in his hands with a groan before taking out his phone and sending Winn a message.

 

_Just a heads up, Kara came over to Catco. Today and demanded to know the reason why we were acting so weird the other night. And the past couple of weeks too I guess. -J_

 

**What did she say? Did you spill the beans? I’m too pretty to die, Olsen. -W**

 

James smiled fondly and shook his head.

 

_No, I didn’t spill the beans, Drama queen. But I did do something. -J_

 

_Something...questionable -J_

 

**What? Did you tell her we were partners in crime? Driving around National City with ski masks and a getaway car robbing banks and the elderly? -W**

 

_Not quite so drastic. -J_

 

_I told Kara we were dating. -J_

 

There was no reply from Winn from a solid 10 minutes. James hated to think that he had messed up this friendship/dynamic duo forever because of his big mouth and Kara’s need for her friends to be romantically linked.

 

He started thinking of all the possible ways Winn could respond. Would Winn be mad? Upset? Was Winn even into guys? James sat at his desk, trying to focus on his work, his leg bouncing up and down and the pencil in his hand flinging back and forth so hard that he accidentally threw it across the office.

 

Then his phone buzzed.

 

**...Dating? -W**

 

**Why would you tell Kara we were dating? -W**

 

**Does she think we’re dating? -W**

 

_It just came out! -J_

 

No pun intended.

 

_I accidentally said we were also taking sewing classes together and she got the bright idea that we were dating because we’ve been sneaking off together so much and we text a lot. -J_

 

 _And then she said we were taking classes together so we_ must _be dating. It seemed easier to go with that instead of thinking of another reason, you know how bad a liar I am. -J_

 

_Look, I have a plan. We go with this for a little while, see how it turns out. Then after a couple weeks we’ll say we broke up because of something minor but we’ll remain friends. Maybe then they’ll stop taking notice of us sneaking away. -J_

 

_Winn? -J_

 

**I hate to say it, Olsen. -W**

 

**But that’s kind of genius. -W**

 

**I’m in. -W**

 

**Just don’t fall in love with me, K? -W**

 

James’ heart did a backflip and he swallowed thickly, shaking his head at his phone screen.

 

Too late.


	2. Chapter 2

When Kara got back to the DEO Winn found himself being almost tackled by the Kryptonian, question after question and joyful declaration coming out of her mouth.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you and James were dating? I’m so happy for you two! I suspected something was going on but I didn’t want to say anything since I wasn’t really sure. Winn!”

 

Winn took a second to register everything that Kara was saying.

 

“Uh...yes! James and I are...dating. That is a thing that’s happening.” Winn took a step back from Kara and turned back to his monitor, hoping he didn’t sound suspicious. “W-we didn’t tell you ‘cause...it’s an early development. We’re still...feeling things out.”

 

“Well you guys have to join me and Lena and Alex and Maggie for couples game night! Alex and Maggie aren’t a couple yet but I’m hoping that those two will just hurry up and tell each other they like each other already, I mean it’s so obvious.”

 

Winn closed his eyes for a brief second before turning to look at Kara questioningly. “Lena? As in...Lena Luthor?” Kara blushed and began talking about how Lena and Kara had just _clicked_ like ‘Whapow’ when they first met and that eventually lead to them being around each other more. As Kara rambled on, this gave Winn the time to think of a way to get out of couples game night.

 

“Kara…” Winn started before taking a look at Kara and melting, her large eyes staring at him expectantly. It was one of the reasons why he’d fallen in love with her in the first place, those big soulful eyes. Now they just made him feel guilty. “We’d love to come.” He sighed.

 

Kara let out a delighted squeal and a clap before hugging Winn. “This is going to be so much fun! Just like when the three of us used to have game nights together! Except it’ll be the 6 of us. I’m so excited!” She gave him one last hug before speeding off to go tell Alex the good news.

 

Winn sighed and flopped into his desk chair, reaching for his phone to text James.

 

**Kara invited us to couples game night. I said we would go. -W**

 

_You what? -J_

 

**She gave me the puppy dog eyes! Don’t even try to tell me that you can stand those. -W**

 

**But you know what this means, right? -W**

 

_Okay, you’re right I probably would’ve agreed too. -J_

 

_But what does this mean? -J_

 

 **Game night. We have to know each other inside and out. This may not be a real relationship** (Winn’s heart sank slightly as he typed that) **but I’ll be damned if we lose. -W**

 

**Come over tonight at 7. There will be alcohol. -W**

 

_Got it. See you tonight, Winn. -J_

 

* * *

 

After work, Winn raced home to get everything ready for James. He got home and cursed quietly at the state he’d left it in. It wasn’t horrible but it certainly wasn’t good for entertaining company. There were some clothes on the floor and there was cat fur on the couch, Darth was always shedding, and dishes in the sink. Winn had about 2 hours until James was set to get here so he got to cleaning, hoping he could finish in time.

 

He wasn’t 100% sure why he wanted to impress James so much. Maybe it was simply hero-worship like Winn had felt for Barry and Kara. He just wanted James to think he was...a worthy friend. That’s all. It certainly wasn’t like he wanted James to like his apartment so he’d want to come over more...maybe sleepover every once in awhile...in Winn’s bed...definitely not that.

 

He was done cleaning up and sat on his couch, sighing quietly, before he realised that he was still in his sweaty work clothes. He jumped up and ran to his room to change, taking his shirt off and grabbing a new one. Just as he had gotten half of the buttons up, the doorbell rang.

 

“Shit.” He swore quietly, running to the door whilst buttoning up his shirt. He looked through the peephole and there he was, James Olsen, in all his glory.

 

Winn opened the door slowly and tried to look nonchalant. “Hey!” He said, slightly out of breath from running around the apartment.

 

James looked between the Winn’s slightly exposed chest from where he hadn’t buttoned the rest of his shirt to his friends heavy panting and his eyes glazed over, thinking about what the shorter man could’ve been doing. He cleared his throat and smiled, holding up a six pack of beer.

 

“I brought beer.”

 

“Great!” Winn said, waving James into his apartment and pointing him towards the couch where his cat, Darth, was lounging. “Just ignore Darth. He doesn’t like company.” Winn turned his back on James and his cat to grab his phone when he heard James’ low, soft chuckle.

 

“He seems to like me just fine.”

 

Winn turned around quickly and saw Darth had jumped into James’ lap, the taller man’s hands running through his soft, white fur slowly. “Darth doesn’t like anybody but me…” He mumbled curiously. He looked at his cat nestled comfortably in his...partner’s lap and he paused. This could be his life.

 

He imagined them living together, one of them attempting to cook whilst the other entertained them with stories about their day or what was new on TV whilst they pet their cat. Winn shook his head and tried to shove the thought out of his mind and went to order pizza.

 

James looked back at Winn and furrowed his eyebrows. Something was off with him. He looked down at the cat and noticed just how much they resembled each other. They both had large, soulful green eyes and the way Darth purred and quietly nuzzled James reminded of the way Winn hugged. Tightly and full of emotion but just the right pressure.

 

“So! I’ve ordered two pizzas for us in case we get hungry.” Winn took two beers from the six pack James brought and handed one to his friend. “Let’s do this.”

 

They started by giving each other trivia about each other, favourite foods, favourite vacation spots, favourite colour, and then it went deeper. Winn talked about his father and in turn James told him about his. They told stories from their childhoods, Winn’s hard life being juggled from foster home to foster home and James anxiously waiting day after day for his father to come back until the day he didn’t.

 

Soon enough, the beer ran out and Winn and James found that they weren’t actively trying to learn anything from each other anymore. Rather they were just talking, enjoying each others company. As they drank, they slowly got closer together on the couch until they were pretty much pressed shoulder to shoulder against each other, their thighs tightly pressed together.

 

They’d stopped talking and James took a moment to look at Winn who was petting Darth, his head bowed slightly. James smiled slightly. Maybe it was the slight buzz he was feeling or the warm atmosphere in the room but James felt something deep in his chest. A feeling that spread throughout his body that made him warm and fuzzy inside.

 

Winn felt eyes on him and he looked at James who was sitting closer to him than he remembered, their faces just inches apart. His eyes flicked down to the larger man’s lips and he swallowed thickly.

 

“I…”

 

“Yes?” James said quietly, his voice a low whisper.

 

“I...should...I should get us more drinks.” Winn said, standing up and taking the four empty bottles and quickly rushing to the kitchen to recollect his thoughts.

 

What was _that_ ? Was it possible that James felt the same way for him as he felt for James? _Did_ he feel anything for James? Winn ran his fingers through his hair and suppressed a frustrated groan. This was all so confusing.

 

He left the kitchen with two more bottles of beer and joined James on the couch again, distancing himself slightly. “So, um...I think we’re ready for game night! I’ve told you everything there is to know about me and you’ve told me everything about you so…”

 

James’ smile dimmed slightly when Winn said that and he took the beer bottle reluctantly. “Doesn’t mean we can’t still chill for a while, right? I mean I’m having a good time here. Aren’t you?”

 

Winn was stumped. He didn’t think that James was actually enjoying himself despite the fact that they had been talking for nearly 3 hours now. Winn nodded slowly and plopped down next to James.

 

“Yeah! Yeah, this is fun. Just...a couple of...dudes hanging out.” Winn said awkward, punching James lightly on his well-muscled shoulder. “Drinking beer and...doing what guys do.”

 

James laughed quietly and let out a soft, relieved breath. He didn’t really want to leave - why that was, he couldn’t explain.

 

“Great.”

 

James and Winn made eye contact and they both smiled at each other, Winn joining James back on the couch.

 

James didn’t leave Winn’s house that night until 2am.

 

* * *

 

“Guys! James and Winn are here!” Kara said once she’d opened the door. She gave them both a quick hug and ushered them into the apartment. “Welcome to couples game night!”

 

“Uh, Maggie and I aren’t a couple!” Alex said quickly, though the pink blush on her cheeks told a different story. Kara simply looked at her, unconvinced, before pushing Winn and James at the couches. She went over to the kitchen and continued pouring wine for everyone.

 

“So, since when have you two been a thing?” Alex asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

 

Winn and James looked at each other and then back at Alex.

 

“Not for long…”

 

“2 months!”

 

They spoke over each other and looked at each other in panic, trying to ease their facial expressions before looking back at Alex calmly.

 

“It’s been 2 months but everyday just goes by...so fast!” James said quickly, wrapping his arm around Winn’s shoulders and pulling him closer. Winn, who hadn’t anticipated the sudden contact, felt himself being pressed close to James’ body, his scent surrounding him. Winn tried not to lose himself in the intoxicating smell of James’ cologne and simply nodded in agreement, patting James’ knee lightly. Before Alex could raise any more questions, Kara returned from from the kitchen with glasses of wine for James and Winn.

 

She looked around at her friends and took a seat next to Lena who looked at her lovingly.

 

“I’m so happy we’re all together! Isn’t this nice?” Kara asked as she scooted closer to Lena, resting her head on her girlfriends shoulder and looking between Alex & Maggie and James & Winn.

 

Winn and James smiled at Kara before looking at each other. “Um...it sure is!” Winn said happily, clearing his throat and taking his hand off of James’ knee.

 

“So first I thought we would play taboo!” Kara announced, causing Alex and Maggie to groan. “What?”

 

Alex gave Kara a look and raised her eyebrow. “You just wanna play taboo ‘cause you and Lena always win.” Kara blushed and shrugged, sidling up closer to her girlfriend.

 

“Not my fault that we know each other better.” Lena said with a cheeky smile. She’d slowly gotten closer to what was known as the ‘Superfriends’ gang. Alex rolled her eyes good heartedly and sighed.

 

“Um...what’s taboo?” Winn asked, sitting upright and looking at Kara.

 

“Basically we have 20 cards with words or phrases on them and you have 45 seconds to make your partner guess what’s on the card without saying any of the words that are on the card.”

 

Winn and James looked at each other, a conversation almost happening solely through their looks. They nodded at each other. They could totally do this.

 

“Sounds great! Who’s going first?” James said, looking between the four girls who were, for some reason, smiling mischievously at them. “What?”

 

“Since you guys are newbies to game night, you will be going first.” Alex said with a smirk, leaning forward. Winn looked to James and they stood up slowly, grabbing the deck of game cards from the coffee table.

 

“Okay, the timer is starting in...3, 2, 1, GO!”

 

Winn took the first card and jumped excitedly, knowing they could nail this one.

 

“My favourite childhood cartoon character!”

 

James scoffed and grinned. “Mickey Mouse, duh.”

 

Winn grinned back at James and put the card away. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

 

They went a few more rounds, shooting answers back and forth at each other rapidly. Soon, the 45 seconds were up and they had collected 16 points. Winn and James grinned at each other and high-fived.

 

“16 points, you just broke the Couples Game Night Record!” Kara said, astounded. “Wow, that was...amazing!”

 

“Well, when you’re as...in tune with your...boyfriend’s thoughts as I am, you’re bound to get things right.” James said, looking at Winn with a soft smile. For a second, James allowed himself to pretend that they were really dating, a warm feeling washing over him.

 

“Speaking of that, how did you two get together? Alex told me that you both liked Kara at one point.” Maggie asked, taking a sip of her wine.

 

Winn took a long swig of his own wine before looking at James. “Well, um...y’see...I’m pansexual and James is bi. And we both did have individual crushes on Kara because...well, why doesn’t really matter.” He looked to James for assistance and he took over from that point.

 

“We...I visited Winn at the DEO one day ‘cause...I missed him.” James said. He hadn’t told Winn this but he really had. Even though they might’ve had a rocky relationship at the beginning, James had grown accustomed to having Winn around to talk to and joke with. Winn looked at James and smiled softly.

 

“You did?” He asked, forgetting about the act they were meant to be putting up.

 

James smiled and nodded. “I did.”

 

They got distracted, simply looking at each other. They’d talked about what story they were going to tell everyone before but never like this. This time, something felt different.

 

“Um...guys?” Kara said, trying to hold back a laugh. Kara’s soft voice broke them both out of their trance-like state.

 

“Sorry!” James said, clearing his throat and looking away, grabbing his wine glass and taking a drink. “Anyway, um...I asked if he wanted to get drinks and from there we kind of both realised that...we had more in common than we’d thought and it turned into friendship...and then it kind of...grew.”

 

When James looked back at the others, he saw Kara and Lena cuddled closer together than they had been before, James didn’t even think it was possible for them to get closer, and Alex and Maggie looking at each other with small smiles on their faces.

  
“That’s sweet.” Lena murmured, her arm around Kara’s shoulder. “But let’s get back to the game. I’m eager to beat your guys’ score.” James and Winn both breathed a sigh of relief and sat back on the couch, both of them sitting slightly closer to each other than before.

 

* * *

 

 

Once game night came to a close and James and Winn left Kara's apartment, a strange but comfortable silence fell over the two of them.

 

Winn looked at James and cleared his throat before looking down at the sidewalk again. 

 

"So...good job in there. With the...'how we got together' story. Felt like you really meant it." Winn said, reaching over to give James a - completely platonic - punch on the shoulder. "You're a pretty decent actor."

 

James looked at Winn and he sighed, the soft, yellow glow of the street lamps above them illuminating Winn's face and making his bright green eyes look even brighter, more iridescent.  

 

"Yeah, acting. Thanks, you were pretty good too." James said back, trying to keep his voice from shaking. 

 

"I guess we make a pretty good team after all, huh?" Winn said quietly, looking at James and smiling. 

 

"I suppose we do."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd chapter!! I did it guys!! I really hope you guys liked this chapter because I like it a little bit. I didn't really proofread it because I was so excited to get it up but I hope it's okay!
> 
> All of your comments have been so sweet! And my birthday was on the 4th so they've been the best birthday present I could ever ask for <3
> 
> Now I should probably go do my actual schoolwork. Comments and Kudos are much appreciated! xx
> 
> \- Brit


	3. Chapter 3

**** “On your left! He’s coming at you quick so I’ll activate your shield in 3, 2…” Winn said from his place, safe and secure, in the van. He watched as James’ shield opened just in time for the man in question to crash into it, landing groaning on the floor. “Boom, baby!” 

 

James grinned inside his mask. Something about this never got old. Maybe it was the thrill of making the world a safer place, maybe it was the power he felt whenever he stepped inside the suit, or maybe it had something to do with the soothing, excitable voice constantly shouting directions in his ear. 

 

“Good job, Man in the Van!” James said happily, handcuffing the gang of muggers and leaving them for the police who were supposedly on their way. 

 

James mounted his motorcycle and began to speed off, Winn following behind after a few minutes. 

 

“We’re getting good at this hero thing.” Winn said with a smile as he followed not too closely behind his companion. “How are you feeling?

 

“Better than ever.” James said, his deep voice resonating in Winn’s chest. “Hey, uh...I've been thinking. Since we’re doing this whole...fake dating thing, maybe we should go on a date.” 

 

Winn paused and his eyes widened. “A-a date? You and me?” 

 

James panicked. 

 

“A fake date! Like drinks. Just to keep up pretenses. We could post a picture on Instagram or something. Makes it seem more real.” Winn and James both felt slightly disappointed at the reminder that this was just a facade. 

 

Winn tried to keep up his chipper, upbeat attitude.

 

“That's a good idea. I thought I was supposed to be the brains, Olsen.” Winn joked, though without the usual snark in his tone. James smiled and pretended not to notice. 

 

“You're not the only one with good ideas, Schott.” James remarked quietly as his motorcycle pulled into the abandoned lot. 

 

“Well...I'm not the one who came up with the idea to tell Kara we were dating.” Winn said with a fond laugh, shaking his head. “That was...really something.” 

 

“A good something?” 

 

Winn contemplated all that had happened between them since James told Kara they were dating and he grinned. 

 

“Yeah, I'd say so.” 

 

* * *

 

Winn got home that night and, not for the first time, felt an unfamiliar and frankly unwelcome wave of loneliness sweep over him. He saw Darth sitting patiently in his bed, nibbling on the mouse toy he’d gotten when Winn adopted him. He allowed himself to smile at the small cat before crashing onto his sofa.

 

He looked around all his living room at all the items and his eyes landed on a picture of him and his dad when he was around 5 years old, before the chaos had happened. He sighed - not knowing whether to smile or be sad or angry at the bittersweet memory. 

 

It was times like these that Winn wished he had someone to come home to, be it two loving parents - he would even love to have just one - or a cheerful roommate or...His mind switched to James. 

 

His friend? Partner in crime? Maybe partner in heroism would be a more fitting term. Winn thought about all the time they’d been spending together recently and he smiled to himself fondly, thinking about the taller man’s warm brown eyes and his large arms that enveloped you completely and comfortingly whenever they hugged someone and his kind smile who he seemed to direct at everyone - much to Winn’s chagrin. 

 

Most of his life, Winn had spent it alone. When he was forced into an orphanage when his dad got carted off to jail and his mom left him behind, he didn’t have anyone. Like high school, everyone had formed their groups and by then it was too late for Winn to make close friends with anyone. Bouncing from foster home to foster home every few months didn’t make that experience any easier. He mostly didn’t allow himself to make friends in high school because he knew once he did, he’d have to leave again because for sure his foster parents wouldn’t want to keep the child of a murderer. 

 

When he was old enough to leave the cycle, he high-tailed it out and made his way to National city and didn’t look back. He didn’t have to. What came from that experience was independence but also isolation - it wasn’t until Kara that he had someone to confide in but even then he’d always felt like a burden to her. She had problems that were quite literally out of this world - she didn’t have time to take care of Winn’s small-town problems. 

 

Then James had come along with his blinding teeth and gorgeous smile and low, soothing voice and Winn couldn’t help but hate him - only because James was everything he wasn’t. Then he’d gotten to know James and they paired up together to create the Guardian and Winn had been so blinded by James’ need to be a hero that he didn’t realise that...maybe he liked James s more than just a friend.

 

Winn sighed and pulled himself out of his thoughts and walked to the kitchen.

 

Tonight was a hard liquor night.

 

* * *

 

James had just stepped out of the shower when he heard his phone buzzing on the nightstand non-stop. He wrapped his towel around his waist and walked over to it, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

 

**Jamses -W**

 

**Hey Jamsee -W**

 

**Itd Winn -W**

 

**Spalling is hard -W**

 

**Everthtginf is blue -W**

 

**BLURT -W**

 

**Bluery -W**

 

**Are u ignorng me -W**

 

James frowned down at his phone at the mass of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Winn was normally so proper when he texted. 

 

_ Winn? -J _

 

**JAME -W**

 

_ Are you okay? -J _

 

**I thinfk i drank to much -W**

 

So Winn was  _ drunk _ . James could’ve probably guessed that from the abundance of text messages. He allowed himself to smile briefly at the adorable mistakes his friend was making but his mind switched to a more pressing issue. 

 

Exactly why was Winn drunk? Had something happened? Was he upset? Was he at home or at a bar somewhere? Did he need help? 

 

**But its k!! Im havn a god time with dart -W**

 

_ Darth? Your cat? -J _

 

**Yeah -W**

 

So he was at home. James allowed himself to relax and sat down on his bed. 

 

**Vodk dosnt taste very nice -W**

 

**James/ -W**

 

**? -W**

 

_ Yes, Winn? -J _

 

**Do you rember when i told yu nott o -W**

 

_ Not to what? -J _

 

**Befor we satrted fake datng -W**

 

**Daking -W**

 

**Fating? -W**

 

James did remember what Winn had said to him. In fact if he’d just scrolled up to see his and Winn’s text history, he would’ve seen it. ‘Just don’t fall in love with me, K?’. James’ tongue suddenly felt dry in his mouth and his heart plummeted to his stomach. 

 

Had Winn picked up on the fact that James’ feelings for him may venture slightly out of the safe, platonic feelings they were before? 

 

_ Uh...yes, I do remember. -J _

 

_ Why? -J _

 

**To late -W**

 

_ What do you mean? -J _

 

**I don wana say it -W**

 

_ Winn? -J _

 

James waited a few minutes before getting antsy, putting his clothes on and pocketing his phone, wallet, and keys. He got into his car and sighed before beginning the drive to Winn’s house. 

 

A few minutes later, Winn was half asleep on his couch, his phone in hand and an empty glass in the other. He heard the doorbell ring and he snorted, waking up fully. He looked at the door and squinted, frowning. Who was visiting him now? He was busy. 

 

Winn stumbled to the door and tried to look through the peephole without much success - he just saw a bunch of blurs. Maybe his peephole was broken. Could peepholes break? Winn guessed so. He opened the door and grinned when he saw James. 

 

“James!” 

 

James looked at the man in front of him, eyes half-lidded and cheeks slightly pink from the alcohol and he smiled fondly. If James had thought Winn was adorable before, he was even more adorable now. 

 

“Wow, you’re really drunk.” James remarked, stepping into the house slowly and closing the door behind him before Darth - who was eyeing the open door curiously - could move from his cushy bed. Winn nodded and scratched his head. 

 

“How are you here? You were there before.” Winn said confusedly, pointing at his phone. “James! Are you li-like that-that blue lady? The one who tried ta’ kill me? Remember her? She was scary. Are you gonna kill me?” Winn’s eyes widened and he stumbled away from James. James held back a laugh and shook his head, placing a gentle hand on Winn’s shoulder and guiding him to the couch.

 

“I’m here to help you. I drove here.” James said, letting a quiet chuckle escape his lips. “Why don’t we put this away and get you some water, hmm?” James took the empty glass out of Winn’s grip, ignoring his pout, and walked to the kitchen to pour Winn some water. 

 

“James!” Winn called, lying down on his couch and stretching, his shirt riding up slightly. James walked over and averted his eyes. He wasn’t about to blatantly ogle his friend whilst he was intoxicated and not himself. His mother had taught him better. “Hey, James.” 

 

James hummed and placed the water on the table, looking at his friend’s green eyes - slightly glazed over from the alcohol. 

 

“You’re a good person.” Winn mumbled, “Like...really good. You’re so nice and caring about everyone! And-and like...you’re also super hot like...I-I can’t deal. Cause you’re too hot.” James raised his eyebrows and he felt heat rush to his cheeks. 

 

“Uh…”

 

“A-And like...I dunno what to do ‘bout it cause we’re buds. We’re friends! But like...m’kinda into you. A little. I think.” Winn mumbled, his sentence ending with a yawn and a stretch. James’ eyes widened and he looked away from Winn.

 

Did he mean it? Or was it the vodka talking? James was so confused. On the one hand he was overjoyed. There was a chance that Winn felt the same way about him! But on the other hand, the hand of reality, James knew that Winn was drunk. He was so caught up in whatever it was he was thinking about before James came over that it just came out. Maybe Winn didn’t even mean it. James decided to stay on the fence until Winn had sobered up. 

 

“Hey, Winn, maybe we should…” Before James could finish his sentence, he’d seen that Winn had fallen asleep. He smiled and shook his head, sighing. James gently picked Winn up and carried him into his room, laying him down on the bed. James briefly wondered if he should get Winn changed into his pyjama’s but James felt slightly uncomfortable undressing his unconcious friend. 

 

He closed the door behind him and put the bottle of vodka away in the opened alcohol cabinet and washed the glasses before leaning against the kitchen counter and sighing heavily. He didn’t know what to do. His heart had been beating a mile a minute since Winn’s drunken admission to him. James walked over to Winn’s couch and sat down, leaning back against it and staring up at the ceiling, counting the cracks before slowly drifting off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

If you asked Winn how he was feeling the next day, the only response he’d be able to give you was a glowering look. 

 

His head was thumping wildly and he didn’t want to open his eyes - not wanting to face the daylight seeping in through his open window. What had happened? He felt like someone had put him in a burlap sack and spun him around before throwing him onto the ground and running him over with a train. He reluctantly stood up, squinting so much in the light that his eyes were basically closed. 

 

He trudged to the bathroom to take a shower, wanting to wash the smell of sweat and booze from his skin.

 

Once he left the shower, he felt a bit better but the dull ache behind his eyes and the pain in his stomach remained. He walked into the living room and saw James asleep on his couch. What? When had that happened? 

 

Winn groaned and tried to recall what had happened last night but it was all a bunch of blurs. He remembered James coming over and then nothing. He’d fallen asleep. Winn hoped to whatever God existed that he hadn’t said anything embarrassing. He walked over to James and gently shook him. “James!” He croaked. 

 

James startled awake and looked at Winn, smiling guiltily. “Morning. How do you feel?” James asked quietly. That hangover must not feel great. Winn simply groaned and plopped down next to James on the couch. 

 

“Terrible.” Winn paused and looked over at James. “Thanks for um...looking after me yesterday.” James smiled and shrugged.

 

“It’s no prob.” James said quietly, wondering if he should bring up what Winn had said the night before or not. “Hey…”

 

“Wait, um...I didn’t say anything...embarrassing right? I didn’t tell you any of my deep dark secrets?” Winn asked jokingly, though his heart was beating so fast he feared it would tear out of his chest all together. James’ smile faltered and his heart sank. So Winn didn’t remember. 

 

“No. You uh...you confused me for Indigo and then you just conked out on the couch. I cleaned up for you in here and took you to your room.” James said, avoiding Winn’s eyes. Winn could sense something was wrong but didn’t want to bring it up. 

 

“Good, good. So I didn’t tell you about the closet that I keep all of my action figures in.” Winn said with a small smile. James forced a laugh and nodded. 

James looked at Winn who was looking back at him, confused. “Actually...you...you said…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

James looked at Winn and he got lost in the bright green of his irises. Even when he was hungover, his eyes shone brighter than the sea on a sunny day. 

 

“You said….you wanted to get Darth a little cardigan so you guys can match.” James said lamely. He couldn’t say it. Maybe it was for the best that he didn’t. Winn laughed and shook his head, none the wiser of the emotional debate happening in his friend’s head.

 

“Sounds like something drunk me would say.” Winn mumbled, “Hey, wanna get some breakfast? I get hungry when I’m hungover and I’m craving some fatty bacon and extra large pancakes from that diner down the road.” 

 

James smiled and nodded. “Let’s go.”

 

James decided it was better if Winn just forgot about the whole thing. It was probably just a thoughtless confession brought on by the fact that they were alone together. There was probably no real emotions behind it. If James’ heart broke slightly at that then, well…

  
Nobody needed to know. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you got the JJ 'Last Five Years' reference I slipped in at the end then you are now my best friend and we should go get hot chocolate and sing the whole soundtrack together sometime. 
> 
> If my portrayal of drunk!Winn and drunk texting wasn't accurate then I'm really sorry!! I'm just a 17 y/o girl who's never been remotely drunk or even under the influence of anything but sleep deprivation before so it might not be horribly accurate. 
> 
> I hope everyone liked the drunk!Winn and sober but heartbroken!James antics! I've realised now that I've gotten into the habit of emotional!Winn in the beginning/middle and then emotional!James at the end. Tell me what you guys think!
> 
> Next chapter may or may not include Alex and Winn brotp goodness - I'm thinking outloud here I haven't even started chapter 4 yet. My mock exams are coming up soon so I may not have time to write as much but I'll write in between revising for my exams! But obviously school work has to take precedent unfortunately.
> 
> Kudos and comments are sure-fire ways to tell me that you guys want more xx
> 
> \- Brit


	4. Chapter 4

All week James had been pondering to himself whether or not to tell Winn what he’d said.

 

_‘But like...m’kinda into you.’_

 

James smiled when he thought of the goofy smile on Winn’s lips when he said that. He thought about how Winn’s cheeks flushed slightly pink as a result of the alcohol and James sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back in his desk chair. He was supposed to be working but found that he couldn’t focus on anything but a certain dark haired, green eyed man.

 

“Sleeping on the job, Olsen?” James opened his eyes to find Winn standing there, a smug grin on his face and his hands in his pockets. “I know sitting behind a desk isn’t as interesting as vigilante-ing but what would Ms. Grant say?”

 

James checked to make sure the doors were closed and laughed, shaking his head. “Hey, man, I was just thinking about you.” Shit, that sounded gayer than he intended. “And um...the suit. The suit is great, good job.” James covered up quickly, coughing.

 

Winn smiled and shrugged. “It’s no problem. I mean the suit is pretty awesome but without you, it would just be a bunch of metal.”

 

They looked at each other for a minute in silence, neither person wanting to speak first.

 

“So-”

 

“About that-”

 

They both tried to speak at the same time before chuckling awkwardly, James gesturing towards Winn to speak first.

 

Winn looked hesitant but decided to just say what he came to talk about.

 

“So, uh...a few days ago you mentioned something about...a date? A fake date! For social media and...things...when do you wanna do that?”

 

James raised his eyebrows when Winn brought that up. That was exactly what he’d been planning to talk to Winn about as well.

 

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk about. How about tonight?” James asked, shooting Winn a wide grin. Winn’s eyes widened and he nodded, at a loss for words.

 

“T-tonight? That’s soon...but yeah! Tonight is great. Just um...text me a time and place, okay? I’ll see you then.” Winn stalled for a moment, not sure what to do with himself before waving and leaving James’ office quickly. He mentally slapped himself for acting like such an imbecile.

 

 _‘It’s not even that big a deal!’_ He thought to himself as he walked out of Catco. _‘It’s a fake date. We’ll have some drinks and take a few pictures. It’s nothing.’_

 

Winn felt disappointment resonate deep in his chest at the thought of fake nature of their relationship but he brushed it aside. Winn had gotten over crushes before - many, many crushes - and he’d get over this one same as the rest.

 

Hopefully.

 

* * *

 

When Winn returned to the DEO, he tried to slip into his seat quietly, hoping no one had noticed his quick exit. When he sat down at his desk, he felt a strong hand pat his shoulder.

 

“Winn, just ‘cause you and James are an item now, doesn’t mean you get to go gallivanting off to see him at Catco whenever you like.” Alex said, though there was no real bite to her words. She merely wanted to tease the shorter man. It was one of her favourite past times.

 

“Oh, what, like you don’t go see Maggie at the precinct or at a crime scene at any given opportunity?” Winn snapped back, eyes glued to his screen to avoid Alex’s incriminating gaze. Alex didn’t respond, her face flushed.

 

“Th-that’s different! Maggie is...an official friend of the DEO. She’s a big help in a lot of cases and she’s really very talen-”

 

“Save it for your diary, Danvers.” Winn shot back, a little smile beginning to form on his lips. It was clear to everyone with eyes and ears that Alex had a huge crush on Maggie and was, for once, too shy to do anything about it.

 

Alex sighed and took the vacant seat by Winn’s desk, furrowing her eyebrows.

 

“Okay, what’s eating you?” She asked suspiciously, “You’ve been acting all jumpy and weird since...actually, since you told us that you and James were a thing.”

 

Winn sighed and shook his head. He debated whether or not he should tell Alex the truth. Over the past few months, Winn felt like he and Alex had formed a somewhat strange but somewhat comforting older sister-younger brother relationship. They teased each other back and forth but it wasn’t mean-spirited.

 

Winn wondered how Alex would react if he told her about how Kara had assumed they were dating and it was the easiest way to cover up their...partnership. And how Winn had slowly begun to develop real feelings for James. He decided against it, not wanting to disclose the secrets of their vigilante partnership without talking to James first.

 

“It’s nothing. James and I uh...got into a fight the other day.” Winn said, shaking his head, “It was nothing big.”

 

Alex made a soft sound of sympathy and awkwardly pat Winn on the back.

 

“It’ll be okay. From what I saw at game night, James clearly likes you a lot. He was always staring at you with either bedroom eyes or this gross, loved up stare. You guys will be fine.”

 

Winn was surprised to hear that. He didn’t know James had been looking.

 

“He was?”

 

Alex looked at him, eyebrow raised. “Yeah, he was. Winn, you have nothing to worry about.”

 

Winn nodded and kept quiet as Alex moved on to talk about a new case Maggie was working on, thoughts running continuously through his head.

 

She had definitely given him something to think about.

 

* * *

 

At his apartment that night, James was panicking. He was meeting Winn at the restaurant in half an hour and he didn’t know which shirt he was going to wear. He ran up to the mirror and held both shirts up to his shirtless body.

 

 _‘The black one fits me really well but the dark blue one is my classic first date shirt.’_ As James chose a shirt he paused, realising what he’d just thought to himself. _‘First date? This...this isn’t a date. We’re friends. Two friends going out for some food and some photo taking to make it seem like they’re on a date when they’re really just best friends fighting crime together. That’s not strange at all.’_

 

James sighed and shook his head, grabbing the black shirt off of its hanger and shrugging it on.

 

This really was a strange situation they’d gotten themselves into.

 

* * *

 

Winn had arrived at the restaurant a few minutes early, smiling politely at the waitress who led them to their reserved seat. It was secluded and dimly lit, a single candle sitting in the middle of a burgundy tablecloth. The whole situation screamed romance. In hindsight it was perfect for a date, perfect atmosphere for what they were trying to portray. On the other hand though, Winn didn’t know how to feel about being in this type of environment with the man he could now admit he had a crush on.

 

To try and distract himself from those thoughts, he took a look at the menu, browsing mindlessly until he felt a tap on the shoulder. He jumped and whipped around, relaxing when he saw James wearing a very, _very_ , fitted black button up.

 

 _‘Damn you and your huge, hypnotising muscles, Olsen.’_ Winn thought to himself, suddenly feeling insecure in his own shirt and tie. He gave James a polite smile anyway, closing the menu.

 

“Hey!”

 

 _‘Shit, was that too eager? I should tone it down.’_ Winn cleared his throat, giving James a nod.

 

“I mean h-hey. How’s it going?”

 

James looked at his friend strangely before chuckling and taking a seat, giving him a blinding smile. He thought it would be best not to question his friend’s strange behaviour.

 

“I’m good. Sorry I was late. There was uh...traffic.” _‘Plus the fact that I was freaking out about whether or not I can classify this a date or not. No big deal.’_

 

They both nodded and spent a few minutes in silence, looking at their menus, neither man knowing about the internal monologue racing through both of their heads.

 

_‘God damn it, he looks so cute. He always looks cute. He’s so small and I just want to hug him. Damn, this is bad.’_

 

_‘He smells so good! I wonder what it would be like if we hugged. I wonder if he could carry me. Stop, Winn! Don’t imagine James picking you up and carrying you to...oh boy.’_

 

“So, what do-”

 

“Have you cho-”

 

They stopped and waited for the other to start talking and both laughed.

 

“We have to stop doing that.” Winn said quietly, smiling at James. The dim candlelight reflecting the green flecks in his eyes. James was at a loss for words.

 

James chuckled in response instead and put his menu down.

 

“Are you ready to order? Dinner's on me tonight since I offered.”

 

Winn floundered, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

 

“I-I...You don’t have to do that!” Winn said quickly, shaking his head. “It’s not as if this is a real…”

 

He stopped himself from saying what he was about to, knowing if he did it would make the situation too real.

 

James seemed to sense how tense the other man seemed and reached out to pat his arm lightly.

 

“Hey, it’s okay. Let’s not think about that tonight. We’re just two friends having a meal.” _‘Trying to ignore the romantic ambience,’_ James tried to give Winn a reassuring smile. “It’s my treat. You can...you can just pay next time.”

 

Winn looked at the hand on his arm and the soft smile on the taller man’s face and he smiled lightly, nodding.

 

“Yeah, okay. That sounds good.”

 

They smiled at each other, eyes locked.

 

For a moment it seemed as though they were the only ones there.

 

* * *

 

The awkward atmosphere soon lifted and they began speaking to each other comfortably, exchanging smiles and laughs. To the casual observer, they would seem like a real couple.

 

Winn took a bite of his risotto and made a quiet noise, groaning and leaning back as he ate.

 

James swallowed thickly as he watched Winn eat, watching the way his Adam’s apple moved and the way he moaned quietly.

 

“Man, this is so good. Do you wanna try some?” Winn asked, breaking himself out of his trance and looking at James who was staring at him rather intensely. “Um...what’s up?”

 

James cleared his throat and gave Winn an easy smile, shaking his head.

 

“Nothing! I-I’d love to try some. You can have some of mine if you want.” Before James could reach over to Winn’s plate, a small spoonful of gooey rice and seafood was thrust in front of his face.

 

Winn blushed as he held out the spoon for James, expecting the man to simply take the spoon. Rather than doing that, James leant forward and ate the food off of the shorter man’s spoon, their eyes locked intensely. Winn flushed bright red and retracted his arm, thankful for the dark atmosphere. _‘At least now he can’t see me blushing.’_ He thought.

 

“Mm, that’s really good.” James said, closing his eyes briefly. “Want some of mine?”

 

After bites of food were exchanged and blushes were cooled down, they resumed their conversations, talking quietly about new plans and strategies for the guardian in hushed tones. They were stopped when they saw a waitress approaching them with a dessert menu, a kind smile on her face.

 

“Are you two interested in a dessert this evening?” She asked, holding out the menu to both of them. “And I’m sorry for prying but you two are adorable. We get dates in here all the time but I haven’t seen a couple quite so invested in each other the way you guys are.”

 

James raised his eyebrows and floundered slightly before stammering out a ‘thanks’ and taking the dessert menu from her. The waitress walked away and James and Winn were met with silence once again.

 

“I guess we must be doing something right then.” Winn remarked quietly, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. James smiled and nodded. “So, dessert? I don’t know about you but I could go for something chocolatey.”

 

James nodded and looked at Winn as he looked at the menu, eyes downcast and a small content smile on his face. He snuck his phone out of his pocket and took a sly picture, laughing when Winn looked up and raised an eyebrow.

 

“For instagram. To uh...keep up pretenses, you know?” Winn looked at James suspiciously.

 

“That’s not fair! I was caught off guard, it’s probably stupid.”

 

James shook his head and looked at the photo affectionately. “It’s not, I promise! You look cute.”

 

They both paused, James realising what he’d just said and Winn’s brain practically short-circuiting from being called ‘cute’ by the man he’d been so hopelessly crushing on.

 

“I...I...Th-that means I should get to take a picture of you now! F-Fairs fair after all.” Winn stammered, looking down at his phone and avoiding eye contact with James. He looked up at James was looking at him with a strange smile, eyes twinkling with...mischief? Whatever it was, Winn liked it. He lifted his phone and snapped a quick picture, smiling at it. “There, perfect.”

 

They decided to upload them after dessert, agreeing on matching ‘couple-y’ captions.

 

Once dessert was over, the bill arrived and James took it without hesitation, scoffing at Winn’s insistence on paying at least half.

 

“Winn, don’t worry about it. Like I said earlier, you can just...pay next time.” The tone of voice that James used made it sound like...like they were actually on a date. Winn smiled. He could pretend for a little while longer that they were really dating.

 

They left the restaurant, standing close together. They could feel their knuckles brushing against one another as they walked but neither said anything - not wanting to ruin the moment and risk the other person moving away.

 

“Tonight was great. Really nice. You make a pretty decent date, Olsen.” Winn said quietly, looking up at the taller man. They’d stopped walking at that point, framed underneath a streetlamp that gave the scene a light yellow glow as they stood in front of the entrance to Winn’s apartment.

 

“I could say the same thing for you, Schott.” James replied under his breath.

 

They stood their, inches apart in their own little world for what felt like hours. Winn knew it would be _so_ easy to just lean in and kiss the man - okay, maybe not _that_ easy since James had a few inches on him. It would be so easy to forget about the fact that this wasn’t a real date and just go for it. But he didn’t. Winn looked away, looking down at his shoes and taking a slight step back. He had to forget about these feelings - there was no way James felt the same despite his behaviour tonight.

 

“Thanks. Tonight was fun.” He said softly, giving James a light pat on the shoulder before running into his lobby and racing up to his apartment, heart beating quick in his chest.

 

Oh _God_ , what had he gotten himself into?

 

* * *

 

**47 Likes**

**CallMeJames** Night out with my main squeeze. #Blessed

 **Winn_ing** <3

 **KaraSoars** So cute!!!!!!!

  


**46 Likes**

**Winn_ing** A rare @CallMeJames in the wild. <3

 **CallMeJames** <3

 **KaraSoars** #Goals!! You guys need to tell me the restaurant name so I can take @LenaLuthorLCorp <3

 **Alex_Danvers** Get a room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agh I'm so sorry I'm actually trash and really bad at updating fics but I managed to bang this out amidst revising for my mock exams so please forgive me!
> 
> I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed Winn and James' date/not-date antics and more fun unrequited feelings. Don't worry, we're slowly getting closer to them being less clueless and getting together. As Supergirl returns soon, I might actually post more Scholsen or maybe even Monwinn one shots because of my need for Winn to have a hot superhero boyfriend. 
> 
> Finally, all of your comments over the past few weeks of me writing this fic have been so kind. I was in bed reading them last night and they just make me so happy and it really just spurred me on to get this chapter finished ASAP for you guys! Thanks for all the support <3 And those of you who've commented on every single chapter, y'all have a special place in my heart!
> 
> Also please excuse the really bad Instagram handles - My own one isn't too original either so I should've seen that coming (follow me lol @_britneyvictoria_). Comments and kudos are much appreciated!
> 
> \- Brit xx


	5. Chapter 5

“How have you never seen Back to the Future?”

 

James laughed and rolled his eyes, leaning back on his bar stool. 

 

“The premise of it makes no sense. Marty McFly is a 17-year-old high school student who’s best friend is a 60-year-old disgraced nuclear physicist! How has no one questioned that in 32 years?” The taller man exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. Winn melted at the sight and looked down at his drink. 

 

“I-It’s a classic and stuff like that is easily overlooked when the content is so good!” He argued back, looking back up at James’ dark soulful eyes. “You should...Maybe we could have a movie night sometime.” Winn looked away from James and hastily took a swig of his drink.

 

James looked at Winn, wondering if that was...perhaps a date invitation?

 

“We can invite Kara and Lena and Maggie and Alex! Make a big...group thing out of it.” James felt slightly disappointed, the fantasy of their budding relationship disappearing before his very eyes. Instead of showing his disappointment though, James merely nodded and took a sip of his beer, looking around the bar slowly. 

 

Winn sensed something was wrong but didn’t know how to approach it. He opted for an awkward shoulder-punch, offering James an awkward smile. 

 

“James? Everything okay?” 

 

James turned to Winn and shot him a quick smile and a nod. “Fine, fine. Just...I kind of have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” 

 

James quickly walked away from the bar towards the men’s room, leaving Winn alone with his thoughts and his half-empty beer bottle. Had he said something wrong? 

 

After a few minutes of solitude, Winn felt a presence behind him. Thinking it was James, Winn turned with a wide smile and a quip at the ready. 

 

“Sure took you long enou-” When Winn turned around he didn’t see James but rather a tall man with dark hair and...were those gills? 

 

“Hi.” 

 

“Uh...hello.” Winn said uncomfortably, leaning back against the bar and clutching his bottle firmly. “D-did you...a-am I blocking your way? I’m sorry, I’ll mo-”

 

“No, rather...I was watching you and your large friend from across the room and I must say...We didn’t have creatures quite as captivating as you on my planet.” The man said with a small smirk as he looked Winn up and down. 

 

“Excuse me?” 

 

The tall alien chuckled and placed a hand on the edge of the bar next to Winn’s hand, still firmly clutching his beer bottle. “I’m trying to...I think flirt is the term. I’m trying to approach you with romantic and/or sexual intentions.” 

 

Winn’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped into an ‘o’ before he began to sputter nervously, shaking his head and laughing nervously. Now would definitely be a good time for James to come back. 

 

As Winn attempted to conjure up a way to politely let down tall, dark, and scaly, he felt a heavy, strong arm make it’s way around his shoulders and he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

 

“Winn, who’s this?” 

 

James’ deep voice seemed to resonate deep within the alien’s chest and he took his hand off the edge of the bar and took a step back from Winn, looking slightly intimidated. 

 

“Um...This is...I don’t know actually, I didn’t catch your name.” Winn said, suddenly confident now that James had returned. James smiled, his eyes eerily friendly and threatening at the same time as he pulled Winn slightly closer.

 

“Right. I can see that I am unwanted in this equation and thus insignificant. I’ll leave you two.” And with that, the alien turned on his heel and walked away slowly. James grinned as he watched the man walk away before turning to Winn, clearing his throat and laughing nervously as he moved his arm around around his companion’s neck. 

 

Winn immediately missed the feeling of James’ arms around him but he hid his disappointment, taking a slight step back. “Uh...thanks for that. I guess.”

 

James shrugged and offered Winn a small smile. 

 

“I mean...what kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I didn’t scare of other potential suitors?” James asked jokingly, nudging his shoulder lightly. Then a thought occurred to him. A thought that made his heart quicken and his stomach turn. “Wait, you didn’t actually...you didn’t actually like that guy, right?” 

 

“No!” Of course not, you idiot, I like you. Winn thought, scoffing and rolling his eyes. “He’s uh...not my type.” As he said that, Winn’s eyes lingered on James for a tad too long, eyes dark and a soft smile on his lips. 

 

James paused and looked at Winn, thinking about how beautiful he looked underneath the glow of the darkened lights at the bar. He examined Winn’s face, swallowing thickly and looking away. 

 

He suddenly felt overcome with emotion, all the feelings that had built up over the past few days washing over him like a tidal wave. Thoughts were running through James’ mind faster and faster. Thoughts like ‘Does he even feel that way about me?’ or ‘is this what being in love feels like?’ and ‘did he really mean what he said that night? When he was drunk?’.

 

Was he going to do it? The atmosphere felt perfect. He could just look over at Winn and tell him how he really felt. James’ heart started to quicken and he tapped his fingers against the wood of the bar, trying to get his shorter friends attention. 

 

“Hey, Winn, I need to tell you something.”

 

“Oh, okay. What’s u-” 

 

“Hey guys!” Winn and James looked towards where the voice had come from and saw Alex, Kara, and Maggie walking towards them. Both men let out a disappointed breath, unbeknownst to each other. 

 

“Are we interrupting? Mind if we join you?” Kara asked lightly, taking a seat next to Winn and smiling that irresistible smile of hers. 

 

James gave Kara a soft smile and shook his head. “Not at all, we were just...talking.” 

 

“So, Kara, no Lena tonight?” Winn asked casually, trying to mask his disappointment at being interrupted. For a moment Winn thought he’d really  _ felt  _ something there. A spark between them. Maybe James had felt it to.

 

As Kara began to explain why Lena was occupied for the night, Winn and James shared a secret look, smiling at each other - a silent promise that they’d pick up where they’d left off.

 

* * *

 

“So, you wanted to tell me something?” Winn asked the second he and James had arrived at Winn’s house - James sleeping over had become somewhat of a common occurrence. James leaned against the back of Winn’s couch, crossing his arms.

 

“Do you remember a while back when you were drunk and you texted me? Asked me to come over?” James asked tentatively. Winn furrowed his eyebrows as he went to pour himself a glass of water. 

 

“Vaguely. You said I texted you something about Darth, right?” At the mention of Winn’s fluffy companion, the cat jumped up onto the back of the couch and proceeded to rub his head against James, causing the larger man to laugh and pet the cat. Winn almost melted at the sight. 

 

“Yeah! That night. Um...do you remember...anything else about that night?” James kept his eyes on Darth, pretending to focus solely on keeping the strokes long and consistent.  _ 1, 2, 3… _

 

“Anything else?” Winn replied, stiffening. “Like...if I started dancing on the table to ‘California Girls’ or something?” Had he done something that night?  _ Said _ something? 

 

“No, no, uh...Actually, um…” James cleared his throat and closed his eyes, trying to muster up the courage to just say what he wanted to say. 

 

‘C’mon, Olsen, you can fight a gang of armed robbers but you can’t tell your best friend that you might be just slightly in love with him?’ He thought to himself. 

 

James licked his lips and walked over to the kitchen counter where Winn was standing, seemingly frozen other than his eyes which were following James across the room. 

 

“That night, I came over and I um...You...said something. To me. About...us fake dating.” James said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper as he continued walking closer and closer to Winn. He wasn’t sure where this sudden surge of confidence had come from but it was coursing through his veins. “You said that you were...that you liked me.” 

 

Winn felt his heartbeat double in speed. His mouth was dry and his hand was so tightly clenched around his glass that he thought he might break it. “I did.” Winn’s eyes flickered from James’ eyes down to his mouth briefly, wondering if this was really about to happen. They were mere inches away from each other. 

 

The air in the room was practically crackling with electricity. The silence surrounding them had never been so deafening as they slowly leaned into one another. And in one swift movement, James surged forward and pressed his lips to Winn’s gently, his hands coming up to rest on the shorter man’s waist. 

 

Winn relaxed into the touch immediately and brought his own hands up to rest on James’ biceps. 

  
And in that moment, everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M A PIECE OF SHIT BUT I'M BACK!!! AND THIS TIME WITH A KISS!!! 
> 
> I'm sorry this took so long, I promised myself I wouldn't do this but then school got in the way and I had my final exams (Guess who's almost an official high school graduate? THIS GIRL!!). BUT my exams are over and I'm officially on summer vacation so that means more writing! 
> 
> I know it's a little bit shorter than usual but this isn't the last chapter! There will be 1 last chapter coming up soon! Also, I'm participating in Scholsen week! From May 15 - May 21st I'll be uploading a oneshot everyday under a theme! If anyone wants to participate in Scholsen week or if anyone wants more info then the tumblr URL is scholsenweek2017.tumblr.com
> 
> AHH I've missed writing the Superhusbands. I hope everyone likes this chapter! Kudos and reviews are a sure-fire way to get more content xx
> 
> \- Brit

**Author's Note:**

> My first multi-chapter fic in a while!! I can only see this going on for maybe 2 or 3 more paragraphs and honestly starting a multi-chapter in this part of my life was a horrible idea as I'm in a very intense stage of my IB diploma right now but...Supergirl is more important than my assessments. 
> 
> I hope y'all liked this first chapter! Kudos and comments are always a way to get more and also very appreciated <3
> 
> \- Brit xx


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